As Wildfires Rage in Israel, The Fellowship Offers Immediate Help

Since last Tuesday, wildfires have done extensive damage in northern Israel, destroying more than 1,000 homes and forcing large-scale evacuations. Dozens of firefighting crews have been battling the blaze, including assistance from Palestinian and Greek officials. Egypt and Jordan have offered aid as well.

Ynet reports on the extent of the damage, as well as The Fellowship’s immediate assistance.

Dozens of houses and public buildings were burned down and damaged in Haifa in the worst day of fire a city in Israel has ever known on Thursday.

Some 75,000 people were evacuated from their homes and have yet to be allowed to return. Those who were initially taken to centers set up by the municipality were moved to hotels, hostels and retirement homes for the night.

On Thursday, some 150 people in the Haifa area sought medical treatment after suffering from smoke inhalation. Dozens of them are still being treated at area hospitals. In addition, one firefighter battling the blazes in the Jerusalem Mountains area was lightly injured and also taken for treatment.

Train movement from Kiryat Gat was stopped overnight because of a fire that broke out in two areas on Highway 6 near the train tracks. Parts of the highway were closed as firefighters were able to gain control of one fire and extinguish the other. The fire damaged some of the train's communication systems.

Meanwhile, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) offered its assistance to new immigrants and elderly people in need of help because of the fires via the Fellowship hotline at *9779.

New immigrants in the Haifa area will receive a text message with details of aid near them. Additionally, the Fellowship will provide vouchers to distribute to the elderly who evacuated their homes.

Here you’ll find an array of useful information on accommodations, transportation, exchanging currency, Israel's climate and customs, and much more. So get the most out of your trip to Israel with the help of The Fellowship.

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) funds humanitarian aid to the needy in Israel and in Jewish communities around the world, promotes prayer and advocacy on behalf of the Jewish state, and provides resources that help build bridges of understanding between Christians and Jews.